Preparing for the Worst: A Workplace Case Study on Suicide Postvention
This case study explores the importance of workplace postvention — a structured, trauma-informed approach to supporting employees after a suicide loss. Drawing on insights from a conversation between Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas and psychologist/researcher Alison Clements, the post identifies key components of an effective postvention plan: contextualised training, a long-tail protocol, and localised support networks. The outcome is a model for workplaces to strengthen resilience, reduce burnout, and prevent further harm.
Listen to the podcast episode here.
Overview
“Workplace postvention” means designing a coordinated response after a suicide death involving staff or clients.
Suicide loss creates long-term impacts, not short-lived critical incidents.
Staff often carry unacknowledged emotional labour, leading to burnout and organisational risk if unsupported.
A three-step postvention plan involves:
1) contextualised training,
2) a long-tail protocol, and
3) localised support networks.
Co-design with staff ensures plans are realistic, culturally aligned, and integrated into everyday practice — not something that sits unused on a shelf.
Preparing for postvention is also suicide prevention.
Context / Background
Many workplaces believe they are prepared for crisis because they have a general emergency or critical-incident plan. However, suicide bereavement is uniquely complex and cannot be treated as a typical short-term incident.
According to Alison Clements, a psychologist and suicide-prevention researcher at the University of Western Australia, workplaces frequently underestimate the emotional load placed on staff exposed to suicide. This lack of preparation contributes to burnout, turnover, legal exposure, and secondary trauma.
Furthermore, employees are often the forgotten grievers — expected to continue working despite long-term emotional impact. As Dr. Sally notes, traditional bereavement leave (often only a few days) does not align with the depth or duration of grief following suicide.
This case study explores a structured model developed from Clements’ six years of research with 22 organisations to address this gap.
Partnership / Approach
Alison Clements collaborates with workplaces to co-design postvention plans grounded in lived experience and tailored to each organisation’s real capacity. Her three-step framework includes:
Engagement & Consultation — understanding staff experiences, needs, past responses, and workflow realities.
Training & Protocol Development — creating separate training for frontline staff and managers, alongside a long-tail protocol that extends support for at least six months.
Localised Support Mapping — identifying external and industry-based support systems that “speak the same language” as the affected workplace.
This approach ensures relevance, sustainability, and practical application.
Implementation (What was done)
1. Staff Consultation & Needs Assessment
Workplaces engaged in structured conversations to understand:
prior experiences with suicide
gaps in support
emotional impacts
expectations and fears
the workplace’s actual capacity to implement a plan
This co-design process helped ensure the final postvention plan was realistic and adoptable.
2. Contextualised Training Development
Two training streams were created:
Frontline staff training — focusing on responding to clients and understanding the emotional aftermath.
Manager training — focusing on supporting staff, checking in over time, and managing long-term impact.
Training varied across child and family services, universities, funeral services, and other organisations, recognising that needs differ by context.
3. Long-Tail Postvention Protocol (Not Just a Crisis Plan)
Unlike typical critical-incident procedures, this protocol:
spans at least six months
includes structured check-ins
incorporates professional development and self-care
supports managers who are also affected
uses a wrap-around approach rather than “action → review → done”
The protocol acknowledges complex grief, guilt, burnout risks, and the long-term nature of workplace healing.
4. Localised Support Network Mapping
Workplaces identified:
relevant community resources
national helplines
peer-to-peer organisational networks
industry-based support groups
Example: First responder agencies in Western Australia adopted a shared framework to support each other across departments.
Results / Impact
Staff showed improved confidence in navigating suicide loss, both for clients and colleagues.
Burnout risk and emotional load were reduced through structured support and acknowledgement of long-term impact.
Organisations reported greater resilience and readiness, replacing reactive crisis responses with proactive planning.
Cross-sector collaboration increased, with workplaces able to support each other meaningfully during emotionally heavy events.
Managers felt better equipped to lead long-term healing rather than rushing staff back to work.
“Preparing for a suicide postvention is suicide prevention.”
Lessons Learned / Recommendations
Don’t assume general crisis plans are enough. Suicide bereavement requires specialised, long-term support.
Co-design with staff. Use lived experience and genuine consultation to build trust and relevance.
Create a long-tail protocol. Healing does not happen in days — it unfolds over months and needs structure.
Train both staff and managers. Each plays a different role in response and recovery.
Map local supports. Industry peers, community resources, and sector networks are crucial.
Integrate postvention into everyday wellbeing, including induction and professional development.
Recognise that postvention is prevention. Being prepared reduces risk, improves culture, and saves lives.
